Monday, March 1, 1830

1830

March

Monday 1

8 50/..

12 3/4

Up at 7 1/2, but felt my limbs so much asleep, got into bed again to set them right, dropt asleep and so lay till so late. I had sat ten minutes on the pot which did it but did good motion –

At 9 3/4, found on my desk letter from Miss Hobart, Westmill, February 26 at a cousin of hers, 1/2 way between Wimpole and London on their return –

Lady Stuart had been suffering much ‘from violent pain or spasms in her left shoulder, which is only relieved by friction . . . . . Erysipelas always plagues her more or less, but the ‘black spot (on her ankle) is less considerable than when I last frightened you about it –

I have not read Moore’s Byron, but certainly shall, I hear it much praised as an amusing bon ton book, but as tending to impress such an idea Lord Byron’s perfections, as is likely to corrupt the morals of the rising generation by giving them the desire to read his wicked works’ –

No prospect of gaiety – ‘at all events, Lady Gordon is a host in herself” !  They go to the Lodge at Easter –

Nice enough; commonplace.  She likes, surely, but is there much heart about her?

Miss Hobart’s letter probably sent under cover to Mr. Charles Stuart, who sent his servant with it from the Embassy –

Read from page 24 to 55, volume 2, Dumas Physiology –

Tailor came about the Coachman’s clothes (coat) not fitting well –

Breakfast at 10 55/.. in 25 minutes –

Musing what to do about Mrs. Hamilton.

At 11 3/4, sat down at my desk, and in 1 1/2 hour, wrote pages 2 and 3 and the ends and under the seal of the sheet, of which little de Hagemann wrote the 1st page to his mother yesterday – Nice enough chit chat letter, chiefly in one way or other about little de Hagemann – Good account of him – 

Knew not what I could have written in my last, too much for even a mother’s eye – Nothing farther from my intention than exaggeration, and for sincerity’s sake I must really leave my judgment to be impeached, as she thought it might deserve –

‘As to quickness, (I do not speak of quickness as to any especial acquirement – I have had little or no opportunity of judging of this), but as to quickness in general, perhaps maternal fears may be too much awakened? and a stranger may by strange possibility be not less just on this point than a parent? 

At all rates, I can say that in putting together a map of France in departments which I gave him the other day, he was very nearly as quick as I was – His questions are innumerable; and no reason seems to satisfy him which is not, strictly speaking, reasonable, and which might not be addressed to older heads than his’ –

Then wrote the following and put it into an envelope directed ‘The Lady Stuart de Rothesay’ – 

‘Miss Lister presents her compliments to Lady Stuart de Rothesay, and hopes she is already upon her list for the ball in aid of the British Charitable fund.

Monday morning’ –

Dressed – off at 1 50/.. – En passant, put into the post office my letter to ‘Madame Madame de Hagemann’ under cover to ‘Son Excellence Monsieur Augustus Foster, Envoyé de S. M. B. [Sa Majesté Brittanique] Turin’ – 

Then called on Mrs. Hamilton – Out – Left my card – Then in passing left my note to Lady Stuart de Rothesay (vide 6th line above) at the porter’s at the Embassy and got home at 3 20/.. –

Changed my dress in 1/4 hour and off with my aunt at 3 35/.. to the bois de Boulogne – Took my usual long walk in 1 3/4 hour –

In returning, called at Daldring’s – to have the new wheels on Saturday – Sent back the carriage on getting home at 5 1/4 to have an écrou or 2 put in to keep all the right till Saturday –

Dressed – Read a few pages Dumas, Volume 2, Physiology – Dozed a little and dinner at 6 1/2 – Read over the whole newspaper (full, as usual, of debates), partly aloud – Came to my room at 8 3/4 – coffee at 9 1/2 –  talking to my aunt of improvements to be made at Shibden – about buying Upper Brea, etc. etc.. 

Came to my room at 10 3/4 – Before coffee and afterwards till 11 5/.., wrote the journal of today –

Very fine day – F 50° at 9 a.m. and 50° now at 11 5/.. p.m. –

Then wrote a little note dated ‘Monday Evening’ to go in the morning to ‘Madame Madame Hamilton, Rue de Matignon, No.10’ to say I called this morning and –

‘I should be happy to be on their list, but I take it as a matter of course, after what has passed on the subject, that I am already on Lady Stuart de Rothesay’s list, to whom I wrote a little note mentioning this, this morning –

Very truly yours,

A Lister’ –

Just before dinner and tonight till 12 1/4 had this from page 55 to 72, Volume 2, Dumas, and cut open a hundred that I must read tomorrow respecting the heart –

WYAS Finding Numbers SH:7/ML/E/13/0005 and SH:7/ML/E/13/0006